Shahristani in the View of Great Scholars

شهرستاني از ديدگاه بزرگان

1- محدث قمي: از ايشان با تعبير: «عالم، فاضل، جليل، محقق، مدقق بي‌بديل، سيد سند، ركن معتمد، فقيه، محدث ماهر، سحاب ماطر، بحر زاخر، صاحب مؤلفات رائقه و تصنيفات فائقه» تجليل كرده شرح حالش را آورده است. [65] .2- شيخ آقا بزرگ تهراني: در اين رابطه مي‌نويسد: «در فقه و اصول به والاترين درجه رسيد، در فنون مختلف سهم وافر داشت، در علوم بسياري چون: رياضيات، هيئت، نجوم، تاريخ، ادبيات، تفسير، فلسفه، حديث، كلام و غير آنها اطلاعات وسيع داشت و به حد تمام و كمال رسيده بود. وي از پيشوايان علم و رهبران آئين بود. از كساني بود كه شهرت بسيار داشت و آثار فراوان از خود به يادگار نهاد، و دانشمندان و دانش پژوهان از خرمن دانش او خوشه‌هاي فراون چيدند.» [66] .3- سيد محسن امين پس از ستايش فراوان مي‌نويسد: «او پيشوائي باوقار، دانشمندي باهيبت، مردي جليل‌القدر بود، سلوكي شايسته و اخلاقي پسنديده [ صفحه 51] داشت.» [67] .4- صاحب المآثر و الآثار: در حق وي مي‌نويسد: «به فنون چند از معقول و منقول، از فحول شهرستاني، فضائل را اين چنين در هيچكدام نديديم، دبستان معارف را اينگونه آموزگار هرگز نشنيديم. بر مسند افادت چون محيط (اقيانوس) موج مي‌زند، و در عرشه‌ي افاضت از سپهر اوج مي‌ستاند...» [68] .5- مرحوم مدرس مي‌نويسد: «از اكابر علماي اماميه، حاوي فروع و اصول، جامع معقول و منقول، فقيه، حكيم، محقق، مدقق، اديب، شاعر ماهر، اصولي، در فطانت، كثرت حافظه و حدت ذهن ممتاز، در كربلاي معلي رئيس مذهبي و مرجع تقليد جمعي وافر از شيعه بود... از دوازده سالگي شروع به تأليف نموده، تأليفات طريفه دارد.» [69] .6- ميرزا محمد مهدي لكهنوي، پس از آنكه او را به عنوان: «از مشاهير فضلاي كرام و علماي عظام» ستوده، و تعدادي از آثارش را شمرده، در ضمن فضائل سادات مرعشي مي‌نويسد: «و افتخار اين دودمان را قاضي نورالله شوشتري و ميرزا محمدمهدي شهرستاني و صاحب اين ترجمه بسنده است. [70] .7- عمر كحاله او را به عنوان: «شيعي، امامي، عالم، اديب، صاحب تأليف در همه‌ي علوم» ستوده، از تعدادي از آثارش نام مي‌برد.» [71] .مرحوم شهرستاني در كتاب «موائد» از دائي خود «آقا محمدابراهيم» مفاخره‌اي را نقل مي‌كند كه خالي از لطافت نيست. وي مي‌نويسند: «زماني كه حقير در كرمانشاهان متولد شدم، والدم در سفر بود، خال مذكور به ايشان نوشت: خداوند مولودي به شما عطا كرده كه با شما مفاخره مي‌كند، مي‌گويد: منم حسين، پدرم علي، مادرم فاطمه، جدم احمد و خالم ابراهيم.» [ صفحه 52] سپس خودش اضافه مي‌كند: «بلي و برادرم حسن، و پسرانم علي و زين‌العابدين، و دخترانم سكينه و فاطمه» [72] .

Shahristani in the View of Great Scholars

  1. Muhaddith Qummi:

He praises him with the expressions:

“A scholar, a learned man, eminent, a researcher, an unparalleled investigator, a noble Sayyid, a dependable pillar, a jurist, a skilled traditionist, a pouring cloud, a vast ocean, the author of elegant works and outstanding writings,” 

and then records his biography. [65]

  1. Shaykh Aqa Buzurg Tehrani:

He writes regarding him:

“He attained the highest rank in fiqh and usul. He possessed a great share in various disciplines. He had extensive knowledge in many sciences such as mathematics, astronomy, celestial sciences, history, literature, tafsir, philosophy, hadith, theology (kalam), and others, and had reached perfection and completion in them. He was among the leaders of knowledge and guides of the religion. He was among those who attained great fame and left behind numerous works. Scholars and students of knowledge gathered abundant harvests from the field of his learning.” [66]

  1. Sayyid Muhsin Amin:

After abundant praise, he writes:

“He was a dignified leader, an awe-inspiring scholar, and a man of great stature. He possessed an excellent manner of conduct and noble character.”

[ صفحه 51]

[67]

  1. The author of al-Ma’athir wa al-Athar:

He writes concerning him:

“In various branches of the rational and transmitted sciences, he was among the foremost of the Shahristanis. We have not seen virtues gathered in this manner in any other person. We have never heard of a teacher of the school of knowledge like him. Upon the seat of instruction he surged like an ocean, and upon the platform of beneficence he reached the heights of the heavens...” [68]

  1. The late Mudarris writes:

“He was among the greatest scholars of the Imamiyyah, encompassing both the branches and principles of religion, combining the rational and transmitted sciences; a jurist, philosopher, researcher, investigator, litterateur, accomplished poet, and master of usul. He was distinguished by his intelligence, extraordinary memory, and sharp mind. In Karbala al-Mu‘alla he was a religious leader and the source of emulation for a large number of Shi‘a... He began writing at the age of twelve and left behind remarkable works.” [69]

  1. Mirza Muhammad Mahdi Lakhnawi:

After praising him as:

“One of the renowned noble scholars and eminent learned men,”

and listing a number of his works, he writes while mentioning the virtues of the Mar‘ashi Sayyids:

“For the honor of this family, Qadi Nur Allah Shushtari, Mirza Muhammad Mahdi Shahristani, and the subject of this biography are sufficient.” [70]

  1. ‘Umar Kahhalah:

He praises him as:

“A Shi‘i, an Imami, a scholar, a man of letters, and an author in all branches of knowledge,”

and mentions a number of his works. [71]

The late Shahristani, in his book Mawa’id, narrates an anecdote from his maternal uncle, Aqa Muhammad Ibrahim, which is not devoid of elegance and charm. He writes:

“When this humble servant was born in Kermanshah, my father was traveling. The aforementioned uncle wrote to him:

‘Allah has granted you a child who boasts against you. He says: I am Imam Husain (a.s.), my father is ‘Ali, my mother is Fatimah, my grandfather is Ahmad, and my uncle is Ibrahim.’”

[ صفحه 52]

He then adds himself:

“Yes, and my brother is Hasan, my sons are ‘Ali and Zayn al-‘Abidin, and my daughters are Sukaynah and Fatimah.” [72]